Process of using sodium silicate to create fire retardant products

Abstract

Wood products, specifically wood commonly used in construction including dimension lumber, pressure treated pine, composite wood materials such as plywood, particle board, and wafer board, and samples of paper and fabric were variously treated with concentrations of sodium silicate (Na 2 OSiO 2 ) also known as water glass. Cellulosic materials including dimension lumber, plywood, particle board, wafer board, paper, and fabric were treated with sodium silicate (Na2O.SiO2) in concentrations ranging from 400-0.04 g Na2O.SiO2/kg water. To overcome the disadvantages of sodium silicate, sodium silicate treated samples were further treated to convert the water soluble sodium silicate to a water insoluble form, thereby overcoming the disadvantages of water solubility. and rendering the material effective for internal and external uses. Although treated sodium silicate samples are composed of the same elements in similar proportions, as the untreated sodium silicate samples, the water solubility of the treated and untreated substances is very different.

We claim: 
     
       1. A process of imparting termite resistant properties to wood products comprising contacting and infusing a termite resistant amount of sodium silicate into voids in said wood product and hardening a portion of said infused sodium silicate into glass in the presence of an atmosphere consisting essentially of air. 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wood product is at least one selected from the group consisting of waferboard, particleboard, and plywood. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of at least partially bonding component parts of the wood product to each other through the use of sodium silicate as a binding agent. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wood product is lumber. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wood product is composite wood. 
     
     
       6. The process  claim 1 , wherein the wood product is plywood. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wood product is at least one selected from the group consisting of particleboard and waferboard. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wood product is paper. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said infusing said sodium silicate into said wood product further comprises separating the wood fibers from one another through the action of said sodium silicate thereby imparting burn resistance to the wood product. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 9 , wherein said portion of said infused sodium silicate that hardens into glass constitutes a major portion of said sodium silicate. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 9 , wherein said portion of said infused sodium silicate that hardens into glass constitutes substantially all of said sodium silicate. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said infusing step is performed by industrial wood preserving operations. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 9  wherein the contacting step is selected from the group consisting of dipping and soaking. 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 9  wherein the contacting step is performed at subatmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       15. The process of  claim 9  wherein the contacting step is performed at superatmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       16. The product produced by the process of  claim 9 . 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 9  wherein the sodium silicate solution has a concentration of 0.04 g-400 g of sodium silicate per kilogram of water. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 9  wherein the concentration is 200-300 grams sodium silicate per kilogram of water. 
     
     
       19. In a method of manufacturing composite wood panels, said panels being formed of wood pieces bound together with a binder, the improvement comprising using sodium silicate as the binder. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the composite wood panel is one selected from particleboard, plywood and waferboard. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19 , comprising bonding said wood pieces under compression. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 19 , comprising bonding said wood pieces under heat and pressure. 
     
     
       23. A composite woodproduct comprising individual wood pieces selected from the group consisting of fibers, wafers, particles, and veneer;
 said wood pieces being bonded into a composite product with sodium silicate as a binder. 
 
     
     
       24. The composite wood product of  claim 23 , in the form of waferboard. 
     
     
       25. The composite wood product of  claim 23 , in the form of particleboard. 
     
     
       26. The composite wood product of  claim 23 , in the form of plywood. 
     
     
       27. The composite wood product of  claim 23 , wherein the pieces are fibers at least partially adhered to each other by the sodium silicate. 
     
     
       28. A shingle made by the process of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       29. A process of imparting fire retardant properties to wood products comprising applying and infusing a sodium silicate solution into said wood product, causing a major portion of said sodium silicate solution infused into said wood product to become insoluble in water. 
     
     
       30. The process of  claim 29  wherein said causing step comprises heating said sodium silicate solution. 
     
     
       31. The process of  claim 29  wherein substantially all of said sodium silicate solution infused into said wood product is caused to become water insoluble. 
     
     
       32. The process of  claim 30  wherein said heating comprises heating in the range of 150-650° C. 
     
     
       33. The process of  claim 30  wherein said heating comprises heating in the range of 150-260° C. 
     
     
       34. The process of  claim 30  wherein said heating comprises heating in the range of 150-205° C. 
     
     
       35. The process of  claim 30  wherein said heating comprises heating in the range above 205° C. 
     
     
       36. The process of  claim 29  wherein said causing comprises dehydrating and polymerization of said sodium silicate solution infused into said wood product. 
     
     
       37. The product produced by the process of  claim 29 .